In the past few decades, epidemiological evidences and conventional life experiences have suggested that physiological stress will severely damage human health. On one hand, stress will directly promote development and progression of diseases. For example, it was demonstrated through researches that the p53 (a cancer suppressor gene) protein levels in mice can be down-regulated by glucocorticoids secreted during stress state, thereby contributing to tumorigenesis. On the other hand, more and more attention has been paid to the indirect effects of stress on promoting development and progression of diseases, particularly to its down-regulating effect on immune system.
The decrease of the immune function plays a critical role in the development and progression of many diseases. The down-regulated immune function can easily allow the onset of virus infection, delayed wound healing and increased risk of cancer rate, etc.
Although there are great progresses in the understanding of the contribution of stress to the pathogenesis and progression of diseases, however, effective countermeasures against stress still await development. There is a need for the clinic to develop effective measures to relieve the negative influence of stress on the development and progression of diseases.
Therefore, there is an urgent need in the art to develop a medicament for fighting against the negative influence of stress and improving immune function as well.